BinDerSmokDat
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2017
- Messages
- 127
- Reaction score
- 19
Is anyone using any kind of enclosed awning or tent at their side door to give them a changing room/added space?
(Note, I'm looking for solutions that work on a full-sized van with side cargo door.)
Ideally I'd like a hard cased option like the Thule or Fiamma but they start at $800 and up.
Smittybilt and ARB make awnings for just a few hundred, but then you need to add a combination of $200-400 worth of mesh walls/floor or netting to enclose them.
I currently use a 10 x 10 sun shade pop-up that is light weight steel legs and frame and does good for sun or light rain, but can't take heavier downpours without collecting water and sagging or leaking.
It's also too frail to add side panels for privacy/wind blown rain.
In addition to those limitations, you can't get the edge over the van so there is always a gap for rain to run off right where you want it least.
I like the idea of rolling up an awning into a package outside of the vehicle, so I can reclaim interior storage space where the current pop-up lives.
I also like the idea of not having to put a wet (or worse, caterpillar/bird dropping covered) pop-up or tarp inside a vehicle when it's time to pack-up.
I'd like to buy a turnkey solution instead of engineering something, but if someone has a slick idea for something homemade that saves me some engineering, I'm game.
I've thought about a piece of 4" PVC with caps with a slit down the side.
Then install a pipe or drape rod with a nut on the end inside the pipe to make my own hard sided drill-powered roll-up awning.
Not sure if I have the engineering skills or time to make that happen.
(Note, I'm looking for solutions that work on a full-sized van with side cargo door.)
Ideally I'd like a hard cased option like the Thule or Fiamma but they start at $800 and up.
Smittybilt and ARB make awnings for just a few hundred, but then you need to add a combination of $200-400 worth of mesh walls/floor or netting to enclose them.
I currently use a 10 x 10 sun shade pop-up that is light weight steel legs and frame and does good for sun or light rain, but can't take heavier downpours without collecting water and sagging or leaking.
It's also too frail to add side panels for privacy/wind blown rain.
In addition to those limitations, you can't get the edge over the van so there is always a gap for rain to run off right where you want it least.
I like the idea of rolling up an awning into a package outside of the vehicle, so I can reclaim interior storage space where the current pop-up lives.
I also like the idea of not having to put a wet (or worse, caterpillar/bird dropping covered) pop-up or tarp inside a vehicle when it's time to pack-up.
I'd like to buy a turnkey solution instead of engineering something, but if someone has a slick idea for something homemade that saves me some engineering, I'm game.
I've thought about a piece of 4" PVC with caps with a slit down the side.
Then install a pipe or drape rod with a nut on the end inside the pipe to make my own hard sided drill-powered roll-up awning.
Not sure if I have the engineering skills or time to make that happen.
